Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Late for a Very Important Date

Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Late for a Very Important Date

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Late for a Very Important Date
Posted by… suppressed (36) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>

In another part of Oed there sat the abducted person in question. She was confined to a chair while bound at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, thighs, knees, and feet. It was certainly overkill but her captives wanted to be extra certain that she could not go anywhere. Her location seemed to be in a basement and her line of sight held very little in observable objects. Whenever one of her captives entered the room it was always from behind her and the door sounded exceedingly heavy.

It was at this moment that the heavy door opened and heavy footsteps sounded behind Mika. The door closed with a muffled whump and the footsteps drew closer. The steps stopped right behind her chair, still out of sight, and a hoarse and raspy voice intoned. “Lieutenant Mika.”

Villain Thadul

She’d been brought here unconscious. The last she remembered… She’d answered the door and been jumped. When she came to, Mika found herself tightly bound. There was no wiggle room. There was nothing visually interesting. Sound and smell gave little clue to her whereabouts. Mika had no idea who would do this, nor why. It was some time before they addressed her directly at which point she attempted to twist her head to see them. “Who are you? What do you want with me?” She asked, keeping her voice as level as she could. She wanted to sound confident, not as frightened as she was.

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

“I… would like to be your friend. Lieutenant Mika.” Replied the voice. It was discernible that the voice was male, probably. The heavy footsteps sounded again as the person paced behind Mika but still stayed out of sight. “I… would like to return you to your domicile and ensure no harm comes to you.”

Villain Thadul

“Then do it!” Mika said. “Or, at the very least, untie me. From the sound of your footsteps, you are much bigger than me. And that door sounds very heavy and secure. Surely you’re not worried about me escaping this.... nice little basement?”

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

“I would like to but it is not yet the time, I’m afraid.” The footsteps stopped behind Mika and to the left of her. If she strained her neck to look all she’d see is a very big man, even bigger than Séan, with a hood masking his features except for a pair of iridescent purple eyes. “Before we can become friends and I can let you return, I need something from you first.”

Villain Thadul

“I’m not sure what it is you think I have.” Mika said. The person was large enough she figured they were not a human, nor did she stand a chance of winning a fight against them. Not even with her level of training in martial arts. “You must have me mistaken for someone else.”

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

There was a low chuckle that seemed to make the room vibrate. It subsided after a few seconds before the voice spoke again. “No Lieutenant Mika, there has been no mistake. You are certainly the one I would like to be friends with. You also have something I need. Now I will give you a little bit of time to consider whether you’re willing to comply with my request.”

The footsteps sounded again as they moved away from Mika. The door then opened and closed. Mika was left in silence with nothing to see but a bare wall less than five feet in front of her.

Villain Thadul

Mika was left alone, in silence. Good. She could use the time. She wiggled in the chair, trying to loosen her bonds. She jiggled the entire chair, hoping it wouldn’t simply tip, to see how much it would move. She tried to turn towards the door. She needed more information.

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

The bindings were were iron bands and the chair was secured firmly to the ground. Nothing was moving, neither her nor the chair. The door would remain out of her line of sight.

Villain Thadul

She was getting nowhere. All she could do was wait. Surely if they wanted her dead, they’d have just done it already, right? Mika didn’t trust a word they said. For all she knew, as soon as she did or said whatever they wanted her to, they’d off her then and there. But then, that brought her back around to what could they possibly want from her?

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

It was perhaps two hours later that the door opened again and the heavy footsteps returned. “Lieutenant Mika. Thank you for your patience. I trust you’ve considered my request. Are you willing to give me what I require?”

Villain Thadul

“No way, scum bag.” Came her stout reply. Her eyes were closed and she did not bother to open them or so much as try to move this time.

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

“Hmm…” Rumbled the voice. “I am disappointed in your decision. I offered you friendship and you turn it down with insults. Very well. It is after all your choice to make and I will respect that. However… since we cannot be friends I cannot ensure that no harm befalls you. I would apologize for this but it was your choice that led us here.”

Villain Thadul

“You haven’t even told me what you want.” Mika said flatly. She swallowed lightly, “Tell me… Was there ever a chance of getting away unharmed?”

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

The voice sighed behind her. “If you had agreed and provided what I needed, you would have been rendered unconscious and returned to your home or at least close to it. Things are now needlessly complicated but it is what it is. I hope for your sake that your resolve crumbles quickly. It will save you from much unneeded pain.”

Villain Thadul

“You still haven’t even told me what it is you want!” Her voice was louder, more worked up than she’d wanted it to be. This wasn’t good. She needed help, and fast… People would be looking for her by now, right? Séan would, surely, but how on Oed would he find her? Sharah… Sharah’s telepathy? Maybe Sharah would find her? Mika’s mind kept grasping at straws.

Lt. Tandra Mika
Chief Mental Health Officer

“What I want… will have to wait until I return.” The voice rasped out. “I must prepare first for our next interaction. I have to be sure you’re honest with me and not just telling me what you think I want to hear.” The footsteps moved away from Mika and the door opened. The voice spoke a last time. “I will be back shortly. Please don’t go anywhere.” It then left and the door closed.

Villain Thadul

Mika scoffed. “Don’t go anywhere… Hah!” She said to herself, squirming against her unfortunately tight bonds. Her tiny wrists couldn’t slip out. She couldn’t even move her arms enough to try. Think fast, Mika, surely you can talk your way out of this. I have to try, anyway. I won’t go without a fight.

~ Mika, CMHO

This time the wait was much shorter as the door opened after about twenty minutes. A rolling sound was heard as something on wheels proceeded the heavy footsteps and the door shutting. The person came directly into Mika’s line of sight for the first time while pushing a metal cart. He glanced in her direction for a moment before he removed his hood and robe, revealing himself to be Klingon. It likely didn’t bode well that she could now describe him. On the cart was a try containing what looked to be a medical kit on one side and on the other was a cloth covered portion. The man slowly pulled back the cloth to reveal a plethora of sharp looking instruments, such as scalpels, picks, hooks, etc. “When I am done and have what I need from you, you will most likely think me barbaric. I just want you to remember that this path is because of the choice you made. I had given you another option.”

Villain Thadul

Mika stared at the cart for a whole five seconds before focusing on the Klingon. She was being allowed to see him. They were going to kill her. And… Her eyes flicked back to the tray… It wasn’t going to be pretty. “You are barbaric!” She spat. “There is no honor in you!”

~ Mika, CMHO

The Klingon man shook his head and chuckled at Mika’s attempt to shame him. “You wouldn’t know a Klingon’s honor or the requirements for which one maintains it, but if shouting and spitting comforts you then by all means please continue.” He opened the medkit and laid out a couple of things, there were some hypos, gauze, dermal regenerators, auto-suture and the like. He heft one of the hypos then moved to Mika and injected it into her neck. “This drug will increase the sensitivity of your pain receptors. Each tiny cut may feel like I completely removed a limb. This I’m afraid will hurt you greatly.” He return the hypo to the tray and then picked up a scalpel. He observed her body for a few moments, maybe to heighten the anticipation and dread that Mika felt or to decide on where the first cut would go, before he stepped closer and one big hand held her head steady. The scalpel approached her face and drew a little line of blood down her cheek.

Villain Thadul

Her body tightened and strained against its bonds but still she could go nowhere. She refused to make a sound, so long as she could stand it. “What is the point of this if you won’t even tell me what it is you want? I can’t comply with what I don’t know.” She growled at him, glaring up at him with all the ferocity of a cornered animal.

~ Mika, CMHO

He watched the blood trickle down her cheek before he grabbed a gauze and put some alcohol on it. The alcohol would help prevent infection, not that this was in any way a concern, but more importantly it would sting and with the heightened sensations that meant more pain. He softly wiped at the blood and waited for the initial bleeding to stop. He then tossed the gauze back on the tray and studied her for a moment. “Part of the problem with torturing someone for information is that the person in question will resist or provide false information during the early stages of the process. Too late in the process though and they’ll be a broken mess who will say whatever may get the pain to stop. We are going to proceed until just before you break completely because I cannot trust anything you might tell me right now.”

Villain Thadul

The alcohol stung - more than usual, but it helped she knew to expect it. The most he got out of her was a slight grimace. That resolve he wanted to break? It shown brightly in what were usually friendly brown eyes. “Whatever it is you want to know, I’ll never tell you.” She hissed angrily.

~ Mika, CMHO

The man nodded with satisfaction. “Good. I appreciate the honesty. I am curious how long that resolve will last but together we will find out.” He then spent the next hour giving Mika shallow cuts along her arms and legs while being sure to apply alcohol to the wounds each time.

Villain Thadul

For each one Mika was able to keep her reactions to a minimum, driven by a will to avoid giving this criminal brute the satisfaction. The cuts were minor, but as promised, the drug she’d been given made it feel like her limbs were being made into scrambled hamburger. She looked up at him with that same, strong willed, determined look. “Someone will come for me. My friend, she’s telepathic. She’ll find me. I know she can.”

~ Mika, CMHO

The man showed a hint of surprise at Mika’s revelation of a telepath friend. He shook his head and looked at Mika with sympathy. “I was going to take this slow and steady but now we will have to accelerate my timetable. I must also prepare for the arrival of any would-be rescuers. So after I see to that we will resume in earnest.” With a dramatic sigh he moved in the direction of the door to warn the rest of his team.

Villain Thadul

“I’ll bet they show up with a Fleet team at their back.” Mika said boldly. At least she wouldn’t have to wait around. She’d rather get it over with than wait for the criminal to try and psych her out.

~ Mika, CMHO

The door opened and shut in very quick order. Not quite ten minutes later it opened and shut again. The man moved back to the tray with a purpose and grabbed two hypos, one to boost the sensitivity again and the other to staunch blood loss before injecting Mika with both. He set them back down and grabbed two hook implements from the tray and returned to her side. He carefully got the ends of both hooks into the cut of her skin and slowly pulled the wound wider.

Villain Thadul

Mika’s breath caught, and then she cried out. No… She has to focus on her breathing. There were no sarcastic remarks from her, not this time. She was putting all her focus on breathing, on trying to take her mind away. Her eyes closed, her breathing evened out some. He would not win this. He wouldn’t.

~ Mika, CMHO

The man did not care that Mika cried out or attempted to disassociate herself from the pain. He took no joy from inflicting this pain on her beyond the satisfaction of being good at doing so. After spending the next few minutes widening the wound until blood was oozing out, he grabbed the auto-suture and closed it back up. While the hypo to staunch bleeding slowed the blood flow of the extremities it couldn’t stop it completely but she wouldn’t die from that. If he did this thirty more times though… she very well might. He grabbed the hooks again and over the next hour he would continue the whole wound opening and closing process.

Villain Thadul

By the time that hour passed, tears streamed down her face. Despite the hypo to slow bleeding, blood stained her arms and legs, and some had oozed onto the chair and the floor. Her body was becoming sore from straining against her bonds. As a side effect of the hypo and bleeding her hands and feet felt cold. At the end of the hour, when he finally seemed like he might be done doing that, she gave him another vicious glare. “I wouldn’t want to be you when they find you.”

~ Mika, CMHO

The man looked at Mika with a new appreciation. He set the bloody tools aside then wiped his hands clean. “I am impressed that you still have some fire in you. I am loathe to put it out but we have things we’d rather not do but still need to. You’re not ready for my question but we’re getting there. Are you feeling thirsty? You’ve lost a bit of fluids.”

Villain Thadul

She repeatedly clenched her fists, moving and shifting as much as she could. Her bonds were less than comfortable and even more so due to the hypo she’d been given. “You’ll never win.” She spat at him. Then she nodded. She was very thirsty. If they were going to kill her, why bother offering her water?

~ Mika, CMHO

The man nodded and left for a few minutes before he came back with a bottle of water. He held the straw in front of Mika’s mouth and cautioned. “Drink it slow and try not to choke. Clearing your airway while you’re bound in that chair will likely not feel good.”

Villain Thadul

Mika started to drink the water, sucking it down. When he spoke she stopped and looked up at him. “What the hell do you care?!” She snapped.

~ Mika, CMHO

The man grinned at Mika’s outburst. “I don’t care for your wellbeing. We are not friends and as such you do not even enter into my considerations. However… I can’t have you dying from blood loss or something as banal as choking on water. Not until I get from you what I need. Now, do you think you’re ready to provide that or should we continue to soften you up a bit more?” What the man hadn’t told Mika was that the water was laced with a drug that would slowly, almost imperceptibly lower her inhibitions and strip away the filter guarding her thoughts.

Villain Thadul

She spat out her current mouthful of the water, “I won’t help you keep me alive just so you can hurt me. Kill me or release me.” She looked up at him with that defiant look of hers. “I’ll do nothing for you!”

~ Mika, CMHO

The man nodded again as he set the water bottle aside but still in Mika’s view. She had chugged enough that her hydration should be a bit better and ample amounts of the drug were in her system. “I’ll give you some time to think a little more before I come back.” His heavy footsteps sounded as he walked to the door and exited. She was alone with her thoughts, the sight of the bloody bandages and tools, and bottle of water that quenched some of her thirst.

Villain Thadul

That was her blood. She looked down at herself, as much as she could. What had she done to deserve this? What information did they think she had? She didn’t know anything of importance. Maybe they thought she did? Either way, regardless of the kind of information, she didn’t think she could give it up. It would likely either betray Starfleet or patient privacy and neither was she willing to do.

Sharah, shield yourself from me. Please, shield yourself, you don’t need to feel this. She had no idea if her friend could hear her or even knew where she was or what was going on, but she remembered how hard it was for Sharah. She didn’t want to cause Sharah that kind of trouble, so it was worth thinking.

She listened quietly for the door. In the meantime, she took slow, deep breaths, calming herself, trying to ignore the residual hurt of her wounds.

~ Mika, CMHO